Hi. I’m planning the renovation of my small top-floor studio in an 4-story old brick building. I would love to be able to replace 3 doors throughout the apartment with pocket doors. Unfortunately, the “pockets” for two of these doors would be inside a load-bearing wall, and the one for the third one would be inside a wall I share with my neighbor (this last one is hard to visualize; the door is to a closet that juts into my neighbor’s apartment; the only place a pocket door for this closet could go turns out to be a wall shared by the two units).
I imagine that to put a pocket door in any wall would require tearing down the wall and building a new one with the pocket in it. How difficult is to do this when the wall is a load-bearing wall?
And for the case of a shared wall, is it possible to build the pocket without affecting the surface of the wall that faces the other unit?
Thanks!
Kynn
Replies
How difficult is to do this when the wall is a load-bearing wall? More difficult than the benefit gained. Why not create a furr out for the door and th efinished side of the room? With a little thought to the design it could look ok.
Do it right, or do it twice.
Hello Kynn,
Several issues here.
On the adjoining apt wall, it might be possible but there would be additional sound transmissions between living units that neither party would be happy with. Also, the fire codes would need to be satisfyed, meaning that you would have to rebuild from the neighbor's side as well, costing them a copuple of inches of space.
Putting these doors into a load bearing wall is not especially tricky, you just need to size the header for twice the span of a normal swing door. next trick in this situation is that the jack studs that support that header must transfer the loads properly to something below. That may mean tearing into the floor.
Excellence is its own reward!
Consider before you do this that pocket doors are more difficult to operate than hinged doors. When used for moderate to heavy use they are more problem prone. The best place to use a pocket door is in a situation where there is inadequate space for a hinged door to swing, or in an area that you want to occasionally separate from an adjoining room, like kitchen from dining.
Good points but if you put a pocket door between kitchen and dining, how are the seervants supposed to carry platters of roast duckling through to serve you?
;).
Excellence is its own reward!
in that case, leave a few feathers on the bird, cook 'em rare, (just singed) and let them fly through the door themselves.
I can see she's going to get her money's worth out of this conversation...
;o).
Excellence is its own reward!
Personally, I don't like pocket doors, but you got my mouth a watering thinking about that bird.
It could give new meaning to the term, "Fast Food".
Think about it, Catch it on the fly. Would really apeal to the DIY crowd.
I can see the sales specials now down at "Feather's R Us"
Excellence is its own reward!
Edited 6/7/2003 8:35:14 AM ET by piffin
Two way hinges work for the servants.
Was going to do this in my house but just pictured someone getting slamed with the door.
Had a pocket door between my kitchen and family room,took out the pocket door and made an arched opening.Workes great and looks great.
Don't care for pocket doors but they have their place.Do your homework and get the kind with double wheel rollers.
Double swiong hinge is the answer and the door alwayus needs a peek-a-boo lite for safety..
Excellence is its own reward!